


Ready to Love (I've Been Guarded Long Enough)

by JulieDreamer



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Ballet Dancer Harry Styles, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 08:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13073103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulieDreamer/pseuds/JulieDreamer
Summary: When it matters most, it doesn’t come with a bang, a parade or fireworks, it sneaks up on you like a whisper, it’s quiet and sweet and you’ll find you want nothing more in life than to keep it.That’s how love works._______Or the one where Louis Tomlinson might not hate his childhood nemesis as much as he convinced himself he did.





	Ready to Love (I've Been Guarded Long Enough)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BleedMeAMelody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleedMeAMelody/gifts).



> Hello!  
> This is my very first time posting my work and I'm a little nervous, let's see how it works out, yeah?!  
> I wrote this based on two of BleedMeAMelody's prompts.  
> Darling, I really hope I managed to fulfill at least some of your expectations. I'm really sorry if I didn't.  
> I enjoyed writing it very much and I hope you enjoy reading it.  
> XXX

The smell of warm cider filled the air, cinnamon and nutmeg and warm apple juice, if that was even a thing, invading Louis’ senses and making him feel warm and at home. He watches the kids playing on the carpet in front of him, Earnest and Doris babbling to each other in their own toddler language that he can’t understand a word of while Daisy and Phoebe help them build up a Lego castle.

Louis feels anxious, that’s the thing. Fidgety almost, but he had agreed to accompany him mum to the Twist residence down the street for tea when he was at home doing absolutely nothing. It had seemed like a great idea when Jay asked him, now not so much.

Jay and Anne have spent the last ten minutes discussing their children’s careers. Jay babbling about Lottie being taken under the wing of an up and rising London make up artist, Anne listening patiently and enthusiastically while Jay told her all about Fizzy’s dedication in college and taking five A level courses to be able to go to med school in London. Anne was a good listener, for what Louis could tell from observing her, she smiled, nodded, oohed and aahed at all the right times.

Had it been Louis listening to all this bragging, he would have decked his mum already. But they have been best friends for a long time, Anne and Jay, ever since Louis can remember, he thinks Anne is just used to it by now. Not that his mum means any harm by the bragging, that is.

“What about Harry?” Jay asks taking a sip of her cider, smiling widely. “It`s been a few weeks since I’ve seen him.” 

“Oh, Harry is hopeless, really. He’s been locked up in the studio downtown for the last two weeks, I haven’t seen him either.” They both laugh, but the mention of Harry just makes Louis want to roll his eyes. He refrains, though.

Louis knows it’s a bit juvenile of him, but he’s been subjected to being compared to Harry all through his teen years, the fact that Harry is three years younger than him never deterred his mum from voicing just how dedicated and disciplined Harry was and how Louis was just _not._ In fact, being three years older than Harry only made the comparisons even more annoying. Louis was never one for discipline and rules, he likes his fun and he was a complete mayhem in his teenage years. Him and his best friend, Zayn, a transferred kid that had just moved to Holmes Chapel from Bradford and had trouble spelled all over his mysterious and quiet persona.

Ah the school years, good times. He misses ending up in the principal’s office every other week for spray painting the main building outside walls, or rather watching Zayn do it because, honestly, he didn’t have a single artistic bone in his body. He can’t forget to call Zayn to arrange their trip back to London on Friday.

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, Anne! Right Lou?” At the mention of his name, Louis comes back to himself only to be met with two pairs of clear eyes watching him.

“Sorry, what?”

“Oh Boo, you never listen to a thing I say.” He frowns at his mum, he is a great listener, he’ll have her know. “Anne was just telling us that Harry has a big show coming up next Sunday and that he needs to go to London on Thursday to prepare, but Rob has a work appointment on Friday and they won’t be able to take him.”

Louis continues to watch his mum and Anne looking at him hopefully and as the explanation develops he gets the feeling he won’t like the conclusion one bit.

“You and Zayn are going back to London on Friday, so I thought maybe you could go a day earlier and give Harry a ride.” Somehow Louis is always right about the gut feeling he gets when he’s about to get screwed, this is only another proof of that.

“Err- “

“It’s okay if you can’t, Louis. I wouldn’t like to impose.” Louis wonders how on earth someone ever says no to Anne Twist, he feels for Robin, he really does.

“It’s no imposition, Anne. Lou’s been home not doing much for the last week, I’m sure leaving a day early won’t be much trouble.”

“Jesus, thanks mum.” Jay looks at him pointedly while he is subjugated to Anne’s big imploring green eyes and sweet smile. “Err, sure, I think I could.”

“Oh Louis, thank you so much. He was going to go by train, but he has so much luggage, it would be a hassle.”

“Harry could stay over at Louis’ apartment in London, as well. Couldn’t he, boo? Spending so much money on a hotel is so wasteful.”

“I thought he already had an apartment lined up?” Louis asks, getting another pointed look from his mother. Sometimes he feels as if Jay forgets he is a twenty-three-year-old man instead of the seventeen-year-old she used to order around.

“He does, but the contract only starts next Monday. He was going to stay at a hotel until then.” Anne says around a smile. “But I understand you have a roommate, dear. Its no problem if you don’t have room for Harry.”

“No, I mean.” He starts once he sees his mum practically glaring at him. From her disadvantaged point, Anne couldn’t see all the death threats in Jay’s eyes aimed at him. “I’d have to check with Zayn, but I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

“Thank you so much, darling. You’re such an angel for doing this for us, really. I can’t thank you enough.” Louis smiles at her, but he feels trapped. Now he’ll have to be in the same room as Harry for longer than he’d ever like, plus a four-hour drive down to London with his looming presence. God what did he do to deserve this?

Anne’s in the middle of telling them how important Harry’s show on Sunday is for them and how it will turn his career around, Louis is not even listening to be honest, when the sound of the front door being opened echoes around the house and moments later Harry himself is walking down the hall in front of the living room. Anne calls to him and the boy stops at the entrance of the living room and Louis honestly does not like him.

He’s tall now, no longer baby Styles as he was called back in school. His long hair pulled back in a bun on top of his head, sinfully tight yoga pants painted on his long lean legs and a billowy shirt with a wide collar that leaves the two birds on his chest in full sight. He’s a bit sweaty and has a bag on his shoulder, he leaves the bag on the floor and takes out his earbuds upon entering the room and offering the women there a wide smile.

Harry’s saying hi to his mum with a kiss on the cheek and a hug for Jay, but when his eyes meet Louis’ his smile dims to something smaller and tighter and all Louis gets from baby Styles is a nod and a simple hi. The girls practically pounce on him giggling and the tightness of his shoulders upon seeing Louis vanishes in favour of hugging Phoebe and Daisy.

“Sweetheart, we solved your problem.” Harry lifts his head to meet his mum’s eyes, lifting Doris in his arms, her little fingers going straight to his ears and Louis hates it, he’s the only one whose ears his baby sister is allowed to play with.

“Problem?”

“Yeah, you won’t have to go to London by train on Thursday, Louis offered to give you a lift there since he’s going back himself.” Anne says with a wide grin and Louis doesn’t remember it quite like that. He also shouldn’t be offended by how Harry’s eyebrows lower into a frown and how his shoulders have gone back to being tense.

“Mum, I said it wasn’t a problem.”

“Oh darling, but you have so much luggage, going by train would be so troublesome.” Anne turns her pleading eyes to her son and Louis really does feel for the people in this household, there’s no saying no to Anne Twist.

“It’s no problem.” Louis offers, his eyes meet Harry’s, but baby Styles only nods giving him that little tight smile again.

“Thank you, Louis.” There’s a second of tense silence, but maybe he’s the only one who notices it. His eyes are still glued to Harry’s and this trip is going to be hell, Louis just knows it. “I’m, uh, going to take a shower.” He puts Doris down on the floor by her twin and with a parting wave, he leaves the living room.

Louis sighs and leans back against the couch as his mum and Anne resume their conversation, while he blocks them out once more in favor of watching his siblings playing all he can think is how fucked he is.

 

* * *

 

 

Louis glares at his wall, the laughter echoing in his ear from his phone. It’s been a few seconds already, it’s not even that funny, but then again, Zayn always finds it hilarious when Louis gets screwed by his inability of saying no to sweet middle-aged women.

“Alright, I got it. It’s hilarious, can you stop now?”

“Bro, you and Harry in the same car for four hours.” Zayn is still giggling, and he is immensely lucky Louis is not in his presence, because he would give him the worst titty-twister of his lifetime, rip out a few hairs in the process just for the added agony maybe.

“You’re laughing, but you’re gonna have to stand him with me.”

“Yeah Lou, about that…” And there it is, the feeling he’s about to get screwed over once again.

“What? What now?”

“I mean, we scheduled Friday for a reason, Lou. Liam’s coming from Wolverhampton to meet my parents tomorrow, mum invited all the extended family for a roast on Thursday.”

“Fuck, how did I forget about that? And a roast on a Thursday? Who even does that?”

“Mum wants to impress Liam with her cooking, I thought that she was supposed to be the one getting impressed by him, but apparently everything is backwards in my family ever since they got wind of Liam.”

“Your mum’s only hoping to avoid you dying alone.”

“Fuck off, if anyone of us is dying alone here it’s you. Can’t commit to a brand of tea, least of all a human being.” Louis is honestly offended by that, he has used the same brand of Yorkshire tea for the past year, thank you very much. “Anyway, you promised them already, so I suppose Li and I can go by train.”

“You’re a tit.” Louis snaps. “I won’t survive Harry by myself until Friday, Zayn. It just can’t be done.”

“I don’t get this thing you and Harry have, I mean, he’s cool yeah?! Always found him nice.” Zayn says nonchalantly, and Louis honestly couldn’t have gotten a less sympathetic best friend if he tried.

“You only say that because you wanted to snog him on graduation night.”

“Sod off, he was cute, and I didn’t even get my hands on him.”

“Which is for the best, he was like twelve with those curls and huge eyes, just no.” Harry was called baby Styles for a reason back then, it was disconcerting if Louis has anything to say about it.

“He was sixteen, need I remind you of how _you_ looked at sixteen?”

“Please don’t.”

“Anyway, just try and be civil, yeah? He’s polite enough to be civil back. Don’t go giving him shit like you used to when we were in school.” Louis bites on his bottom lip, remembering how much of a shit he was at school.

Louis and Zayn were like the bad boys of their school, with Louis being the captain of the footie team and taking up skating from Zayn. Back then, Zayn already had a few tattoos, Louis didn’t start on them until they were nineteen and already in Uni, but they smoked and drank and caused chaos wherever they went. In a town as small and conservative as Holmes Chapel, it was a wonder how they got out without being arrested not even once, they did get a couple of telling offs by local security guards, but nothing major.

Harry and Louis were raised in each other’s families, Anne and Jay had been best friends since their teenage years made it their mission in life to make Harry and Louis into best friends. Needless to say, it didn’t work out. Louis was a mayhem of a boy, the only one among four little sisters, he always made a point to be a shit most of the time, rebellious he likes to call it.

 

* * *

 

 

Harry however, was the poster boy for politeness and well-behaviour, a mummy’s boy through and through, older people loved and trusted him on the spot, so it was a bit of a shocker for everyone in their small Christian community when Harry took up ballet.

At the tender age of seven, he used to accompany his sister to her weekly ballet classes and, according to a giggling Anne, used to have way more fun watching than Gemma had in participating. So, Anne, being the golden mother she was, signed Harry out of footie and into ballet. In a small town such as theirs, people talk and gossip is a hobby, so of course the wine mums took to whispering here and there about the Styles boy with the curls and the Ballet.

Louis heard once in one of Zayn’s mum’s book club encounters one of the mums saying Anne was to blame for it, having left Des Styles, which was another scandal altogether, and the boy spending his early years without a male figure. Louis enjoyed that day, he and Zayn chuckled hidden in the hallway listening to Jay tell off the woman who had made that ill intended comment, Louis never saw the woman again. Three weeks later Anne joined Zayn’s mum’s book club.

The thing was, Harry was extremely good at ballet, according to what they heard through the years. So good that in the same year Zayn and Louis graduated sixth form and went to university in London, Harry got a full scholarship to study ballet in France, where he spent the last five years, until now.

Still, Louis used to give him shit for it anyway, as did some of the boys in the footie team back at school, calling him Twinkle Toes, among other things. Zayn never pertained in that, always found Harry brave for taking to something like ballet in a community like theirs, he used to tell Louis he should be proud of Harry instead of giving him shit. Harry was a star student, teacher’s pet and that’s where the comparisons came.

Jay always made a point of showing Louis just how unlike Harry he was, with his procrastination and mediocre grades and lack of interest in school, she did bite her tongue when he got his shit together in sixth form and ended up being accepted at University College London for English, Zayn got accepted at the London School of Economics and they have been living together ever since.

 “I’m not gonna give him shit, I’m not seventeen anymore.”

“Well, your mum would beg to differ.” Louis rolls his eyes and considers hanging up on Zayn, this conversation is literally going no where.

“Ha, you’re not as funny as you think you are.”

“Did you print the tickets for Sunday yet?” Zayn asks, a bit of excitement in his tone. Hell, Louis was excited too, I mean, it’s the Stones, just the concert he missed out on going twice during Uni.

“Of course I did, if it wasn’t prohibited I’d laminate them.”

“Good, please don’t lose them. We might not get this chance again, Jagger must be like a hundred by now, we never know if its gonna be his last concert” they chuckle at the joke and keep talking aimlessly for a few more minutes until louis actually has to hang up.

He was in for an interesting few days ahead.

 

* * *

 

 

Louis taps his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel, staring ahead into the empty street trying to keep himself from honking yet again. It’s been ten minutes since he parked in front of the Twist residence waiting for Styles to show up, the baby frog made him leave a day early, missing out on flustered babbling Liam under the pressure of meeting the Malik clan to give him a ride and that’s how he’s-

His increasingly angry thoughts come to a halt when the passenger door is opened, and he sees Harry looking at him with a small apologetic smile and those stupid green eyes of his.

“Hi Louis, sorry for taking so long. Could you open the boot please?” Always so bloody polite, it gets difficult to be mad at him like this.

“Sure.” Louis pulls the lever under his seat to open the back of the car and gets out to help Harry with the luggage. And fuck, does he have luggage. “If you weren’t actually moving to London I’d give you shit for how much you’re taking.”

Harry smiles sheepishly and lifts one of the heavier looking bags into the car as if they weight nothing, Louis struggles a bit, but pretends not to. Shit they’re heavy. Once they’re all packed and good to go, they climb in, waving Anne and Robin goodbye from the car. Louis drives off in the direction of the road trying not to focus too much on the smell of Harry’s cologne filling the air in the car.

“Mum sent these, I guess to thank you for doing this.” Harry opens a tin of biscuits and they smell heavenly, Louis snatches one and bites into it, moaning at the taste. Chocolate chip, his favourites.

“Your mum’s a saint.”

“Good?”

“Heavenly.” He sticks the whole thing in his mouth and Harry hands him another before getting one for himself.

The silence that settles between them is not comfortable, it’s a bit stilled and awkward. Louis wants to start conversation, but he’s not sure of what he could talk to Harry about. Zayn’s voice sounds in his head telling him to be civil to Harry, but why does it have to be so bloody hard?

He’s saved from having to say anything at all when Harry’s phone rings and he excuses himself to answer it. Louis tries his hardest not to pay attention at what Harry is saying into the phone, but it’s practically impossible since he’s sitting right beside him. Harry’s tone is hushed and soft and its bloody hard to ignore the small frown adorning the corner of his lips, the way his shoulders sag a bit. He can’t put too much together from the side of the conversation that he is listening, but it seems to him harry is disappointed.

“Yeah, no it’s fine. It’s okay.” He says quietly. “I’ll see you on Sunday, though right?”

The sudden realization that it might be Harry’s girlfriend, or boyfriend, he was never sure which way Harry swung, comes crashing down. He doesn’t know why the possibility of Harry having someone never crossed his mind until now.

“You too, bye.” He hangs up then and puts his phone between his legs in favour of grabbing another biscuit and closing the tin.

“Girlfriend?”

“Boyfriend.” Harry replies nonchalantly, not offering much else.

“Huh, didn’t know you were dating anyone.” From the corner of his eye, Louis can see Harry lift an amused eyebrow at him. “Right, I get it. why would I know right?!”

“It hasn’t been long anyway, five months.”

“That’s a lifetime, Styles. Are you kidding?”

“What? You never had a long relationship before?” Harry asks, finishing off his biscuit and wiping his hands on his tight black jeans, that thing looks as if it was painted on him.

“Longest I’ve had was six months, since then never for more than a month or two.” Louis says with a shrug trying not to think of his failure of a love life. “I’m not a relationship kind of guy.”

“Maybe you just haven’t found the right person yet.” The smile Harry gives him is small and sweet, lighting up his eyes and Louis turns his eyes quickly back to the road, ignoring the fluttery thing his heart just did a second ago.

“Maybe you’re right.” He mumbles, changing lanes.

 

* * *

 

 

Harry falls asleep an hour into the journey, he makes this whistling little sound whenever he breathes out that Louis tries hard not to think as cute. His hair is down today, well half down and half up in a bun, the curls perfect and soft reaching just below his ears, he’s in an oversized grey sweater and it’s getting harder and harder by the minute not to say the word cute repeatedly in his mind when he chances a glance at Harry.

Food, Louis decides, that’s what they need, food is always a welcomed distraction. Ten minutes later he pulls up to a restaurant by the side of the road and thanks heavens when he reads the little plate on the window that says they serve brunch up until two in the afternoon, because he’d kill for a fry-up just now.

“Hey, Harry.” Louis calls, but the boy doesn’t stir. “Harry.” He shakes Harry’s shoulder slightly and the boy’s eyes flutter open slowly. He sits up and rubs at them with his sweater paws and it’s ridiculously endearing and Louis hates himself for thinking it.

“Where are we?”

“Just out of Birmingham, but I’m hungry, fancy a fry up?” Harry smiles that cute little smile again and they leave the car to go into the restaurant.

It’s cozy and tiny and smells of fried food, they get seated by the window, there’s only a few tables occupied and the only sounds comes from the telly near them and the kitchen. It’s the kind of restaurant you just don’t find in London.

“Hi, I’m Emily, I’m gonna be serving you today. What can I get you?” Louis scans the menu for a second and smiles up at her.

“I’d like a fry up and a cup of Yorkshire tea, thanks.”

“Alright, and you sir?” Harry has his bottom lip between his thumb and pointer finger while his sleepy green eyes scan the menu, the word cute comes up in Louis’ mind again, it’s honestly getting annoying.

“I’d like pancakes and iced tea, please.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back with your food.” The girl leaves them alone and the silence is not as uncomfortable as it had been earlier, it’s not entirely comfortable either though, so Louis fills it quickly.

“Haven’t you missed a good fry up living all this time with the frogs?”

“I ate my fair share of it when I arrived last month, might give beans on toast a wide berth for a while.” Louis chuckles.

“How was it then, France? I heard you did quite well there.”

“Yeah, it was brilliant. Made a lot of friends there, a couple of them are in the show with me on Sunday.”

“Yeah?”

“Niall and Hélène. Niall’s Irish, he’s gotten into the Royal Ballet with me, Hélène is off to Russia in January to try out for the Bolshoi.”

“You got into the Royal Ballet?” Louis can’t help it, his curiosity wins him over. Even to him that understands fuck all about Ballet knows that that’s supposed to be big.

“You sound surprised.” The little smile is back on Harry’s lips as he plays with the countless rings on his fingers.

“It’s a massive thing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. It’s going to be my first piece with them on Sunday after I got approved.” Harry bites his lip then. “They can still drop me if I don’t do well, I haven’t been signed on officially yet.”

“Nah, I’m sure you’re gonna be fine Harold. I haven’t been calling you twinkle toes for nothing.” The air shifts then and the smile vanishes from Harry’s lips. Damn him and his big mouth. Louis swallows around the dryness of his mouth trying to meet Harry’s eyes. “Listen, Harry. I’m sorry for… for all that, you know. The name calling, I was a right shit head back then.”

“It’s fine, it’s in the past now, no use talking about it.”

“I know, I know, but I still feel like… like I should apologize anyway, it wasn’t fair what I did, I’m really sorry. Just hope you can maybe forgive me.”

“I already have, Louis.” The smile returns then, now with the addition of the sinful dimples on Harry’s cheeks. The waitress comes back then with their food and it smells heavenly.

“Well, let’s eat then. To forgiveness!” he lifts his teacup and Harry chuckles, lifting his glass of iced tea and tinkling it against Louis’.

“To forgiveness.”

 

* * *

 

 

There’s still a good hour and a half until London and Harry’s phone has been beeping ever since they left Holmes Chapel. It’s annoying, but Louis tries to focus on the music playing instead. Harry takes his phone out for the billionth time and types a reply into it with quick fingers.

“The boyfriend?” Louis asks trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yeah, sorry.” He blocks his phone again and leaves it between his thighs, Louis tries not to look at those for too long, ballet is truthfully a blessing isn’t it?! If Harry’s thighs are anything to go by. “He’s like… He’s a bit bothered that I’m taking a trip alone with you and that I’m gonna stay at your place for a few days.”

Louis chuckles then, not being able to help himself.

“You can tell him I’m not going to steal you away, I mean, it’s going to be hard for you to resist, I know, but I’ll be the responsible one and keep my hands to myself.” Harry chuckles with an eyeroll. “So, he’s the jealous type, huh?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Harry says with a tight smile.

“Where did you meet?”

“In Paris in a bar back in November, he was there for business, he’s American. His name’s Sam.”

“Sam-I-Am.” Harry snorts at the joke and Louis should not feel proud of making him laugh.

“Anyway, he bought me a drink and the rest is history.”

“Interesting.”

“It’s really not, it’s the most boring couples story ever. But I like him.”

“Like?” Louis asks and whistles quietly. “Thought that after six moths the word would be a little different.”

“That is a complicated word to use freely.”

“Agreed.” Louis says under his breath. Call him skeptic, but after his mum’s two divorces, he is a bit suspicious of love.

After that, the conversation steers to something lighter. Harry tells him a little bit more about his time in France, Louis tells him about going to Uni in London and about Zayn and Liam, which Harry gets a bit happy to hear. He almost tells Harry about the little crush Zayn used to have on him, but a bitter little pang in his gut keeps him from doing it. Harry doesn’t talk about his boyfriend again, even though his phone is constantly beeping with new text messages from the guy.

The rest of the trip goes by in a wink and suddenly they’re entering London and immediately getting stuck in traffic. It’s a good forty minutes before Louis is parking the car in his apartment building and helping Harry take his bags up the tiny service lift.

When they enter the apartment, Louis gets flooded by the feeling of finally being back home after having spent two weeks at his mum’s. He misses Holmes Chapel and his family, but it’s funny how three days into being back in his childhood home he’s longing for his own apartment.

“Okay, home sweet home.” He says, abandoning Harry’s incredibly heavy bag in the living room.

“It’s so nice, there’s a lot more space than I thought it would.” Harry comments while looking around idly.

“Yeah, it was a hidden gem we stumbled upon when we were looking to move out of the dorms.” Louis explains. “Come on, I’ll give you the tour.”

Louis shows him the kitchen, his and Zayn’s bedrooms and the main bathroom. Lastly, he shows Harry their little improvised office/painting room/storage unit. There’s a sofa bed pushed up against one of the walls and that’s where Harry will be spending his stay.

“You can use Zayn’s bedroom while he’s not here, I don’t think he’ll be home until tomorrow night.”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you, Louis.” Harry glances down at his wristwatch and bites on his bottom lip. “I have to go into the studio for the final fittings for the show in a bit and maybe I’ll go out for drinks after with a few mates, you could join us if you want.”

“Nah, it’s okay. I have a few work e-mails I have to answer to and half a manuscript waiting for my editing.” He says with an eyeroll. “Thanks for the offer though.”

He helps Harry settle into the office and grabs his laptop while Harry gets ready to leave, there’s twenty e-mails from the office when he finally settles into the couch and with a heavy sigh he starts to answer them. Harry leaves twenty minutes later with a wave and another thank you, Louis’ never seen a more grateful person in his lifetime.

Louis is halfway finished with his e-mails when his phone rings, he takes one look at the caller’s name and rolls his eyes before answering.

“Miss me yet, love?”

“You wish.” Zayn chuckles on the other side of the line. “You home yet?”

“Yeah, just arrived. Is Liam dead yet?”

“No, but mum’s working him up into a food coma.” Louis can hear the fond in Zayn’s tone and it’s so pathetically endearing that he almost gags. “I wish you’d seen him when he arrived last night. Mum kept showering him with compliments, I thought his head would explode.”

“That is sweet, Zaynie. When’s the wedding? Should I rent a tux already? Write my best man speech?”

“Who says you’re gonna be best man?”

“Don’t you dare ask anybody else other than me, you asshole.”

“How was the trip? Is Harry alive and unharmed?” Louis switches his phone to the other ear and stands up, walking to the balcony.

“It was fine.”

“Just fine?” Zayn asks. “Come on, Lou. I’m gonna need a little more than that.”

“He was… it’s like you said, be civil to each other. It was fine, he’s nice.”

“Hm, good. We’ll be home tomorrow afternoon, go grocery shopping please.”

“Alright, mum.”

“Bye.”

“Zee,” Louis says before Zayn can hang up. “I’m really happy for you and Liam.”

“Thanks, Lou. See you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Louis hangs up, putting his phone back in his pocket and staring out at the night sky.

Sometimes he gets this strange feeling of longing in his chest that he doesn’t know how to fix, doesn’t know what exactly he longs for, maybe someday it will go away.

 

* * *

 

 

He doesn’t see Harry until the next morning, but Harry doesn’t stay in sight for long. Soon after they have breakfast, Harry is out the door again in those sinful yoga pants and his hair pulled up in a bun. It’s annoying, how good he looks without even trying.

Louis spends the day lounging around the apartment with his manuscript in one hand and a highlighter in the other. Some of his colleagues call him old-fashioned for printing his manuscripts for edition, but he thinks it’s more personal this way, gives the author an opportunity to see his line of thought. Machines are too cold, and books deserve better than digital editing. He’s almost finished when Zayn arrives with Liam in tow, they’re both smiley and couple-y and it makes Louis roll his eyes.

“Did you spend the whole day with your nose in that book?” it’s the first thing out of Zayn’s mouth when he drops on the couch and snuggles into Louis’ chest, making him abandon the manuscript.

“Hello to you to, how can you hit on me so shamelessly with your boyfriend in the room.” Liam snorts at the comment, sitting on their battered armchair beside the couch. “I’ll have you know I am a threat to all boyfriends, Lime. Even Harry’s was jealous of my beauty.”

The second the comment is out of his mouth he wants to take it back. It doesn’t feel like something he should share with other people, even if him and Harry aren’t intimate at all, it still feels like something Harry would maybe like to keep between them. When he sees Liam and Zayn sending him funny glances, he knows there’s no way the two are going to just ignore that.

“What do you mean?” Liam arches an inquisitive brow.

“Nothing, nothing. Just like, he should feel jealous. I am gorgeous.”

“Seriously, Lou. What’s that about?” The hint of a smirk on Zayn’s lips means trouble and Louis does not like it one bit. He tries to communicate with his face that if Zayn doesn’t watch it he’s gonna spill everything about his little past crush on Harry to Liam, but he’s not sure Zayn gets it.

“Just like, Harry mentioned his boyfriend is a bit possessive and didn’t like the idea of him spending the weekend holed up with a single guy, that’s all.” The two are still watching him, so he continues. “It’s like normal right?! I mean, Liam if Zee were to spend the weekend with a single guy you’ve never seen before wouldn’t you be jealous?”

“I mean, I would, I think. But I trust Zayn, I’d get jealous more on principle than anything.”

“See?”

Louis is very, very thankful when the front door opens and Harry comes in looking flushed and completely happy. He stops in his tracks when he sees the new addition to their little arrangement, but his surprise melts into a wide grin. Zayn and Liam stand up to greet him with hugs and it’s as if they’ve been best friends forever. It’s ridiculous, really.

“You look nice with long hair, H. Suits you.”

“Me? I mean, look at you. Yours is amazing.” Liam clears his throat and Zayn chuckles, walking up to him and kissing the corner of his mouth.

“Your hair is amazing too, babes.” It’s even more ridiculous when Liam melts into Zayn like butter.

“Anyway, me and a few mates are going out in a while for drinks. Why don’t you guys come along? It’s gonna be fun.” Harry says around a smile.

“Jesus, you’re really into the party scene, aren’t you?” Louis flinches internally at the jab, but instead of frowning at him, Harry chuckles with a glint in his eye and nods a bit.

“It’s the last day of joy before we’re pushed into our diets and exercise regimen. I have to make the most of it while I can.” Harry explains simply.

“And not everyone is an old fart like you, Louis. People enjoy having fun sometimes.” Zayn winks at him cheekily to which Louis just flips him off for, the bastard. “We’d love to tag along, H.”

“Great! I’m gonna take a shower and then we can go.”

Zayn and Liam vanish to the bedroom to fix themselves and reluctantly Louis does the same. He takes a shower in his own bathroom, thanking heavens he won the coin flip when they moved in and got the suite. He fixes his hair and fishes out black jeans and a t-shirt, with black on black there’s no mistake.

However, he is completely unprepared for the sight he gets when he walks into the living room half an hour later. Harry with his long hair impeccably styled, painfully tight black jeans, golden boots and a black see through shirt adorned with roses unbuttoned to the middle of his chest, Louis can see the beginnings of a tattoo he didn’t even know harry had up until that moment.

“It’s a butterfly.” Harry’s slow, deep voice pulls him from his musings, he’s watching Louis back with a smirk, bright green eyes dancing with mirth.

“What?”

“My tattoo, it’s a butterfly.” Louis blushes to the roots of his hair, he can practically hear Zayn’s snort from behind him, the asshole.

“It’s err… yeah, you look good.” Why did anyone ever think it was a good idea to teach him how to talk?

“Thanks, so do you.”

“Can we go now or are you going to continue flirting?” Zayn comments and Louis honestly considers murdering his best friend. Harry doesn’t seem bothered by the comment though, he sends Louis a cheeky wink and walks past him to follow Zayn and Liam out of the apartment.

Louis does not have a good feeling about tonight.

 

* * *

 

 

As it turns out, he really does have a lot of fun with Harry’s ballet friends.

When they arrive, Harry is attacked by an extremely loud and extremely Irish blond lad with sparkly blue eyes that he comes to learn is Niall. The boy hugs them as if they have known each other all their lives and proceeds to pull them towards the booth where there’s another three people that Harry introduces as Hélène, Nick and Sarah. They’re all so nice it’s ridiculous.

At some point into the night more people arrive, Cara, a girl with the thickest eyebrows and best sense of humour he’s ever met. Claire, a Japanese girl with dyed hair and a cute laugh, Mitch, a quiet lad with a dry sense of humour to match Louis’ and Bella and Gigi, sisters with stuck up faces and goofy personalities.

 They’re all so much fun and Harry seems so at home among these people that Louis gets to see a side of him he’s sure he’s never seen before. He laughs loudly and tells stupid jokes with eyes brighter than Louis’ ever seen them being, cheeks flushed on the account of one too many tequila sunrises and sinfully red lips.

“No, but wait for it.” Cara tells loudly as they begin to laugh at the story she’s telling about a time when She was with Harry, Nick and Niall in Russia. “He actually challenged that bear of a man to a drinking game! A bloody Russian!”

“I had already given up after the eighth shot of vodka, that guy was like unreal.” Niall Explains, completing the story. “But Haz gets a little too brave after he’s had a few and the guy took him up on the offer.”

“Did you win?” Zayn asks curiously.

“Fuck no!” Harry says around a laugh. “I held up until the sixth shot and threw up on the bartender.” The table erupts with laughter, including himself. It’s hard for Louis to imagine baby Styles like this.

“They ended up singing Katy Perry on karaoke until three in the morning, H still smelling like sick and the guy drunker than a skunk.” Nick concludes.

“Baby Styles, who would have thought.” Zayn smirks at Harry who just shrugs, taking a sip from his mojito.

“Hey, you guys should come see us on Sunday.” Niall offers. “it’s gonna be sick, it’s the nutcracker. H’s playing the Nutcracker, actually. Snatched the role first try.”

At that Harry blushes a bit with a sheepish smile, it always seems to be his reaction whenever his career is mentioned. It’s endearing.

“He’s the little prodigy.” Nick winks at him and Harry flips him off.

“I didn’t know you were the main character, Harry.” Louis comments, watching for Harry’s reaction.

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous to be honest.”

“You have nothing to be nervous about, H. You rocked yesterday’s rehearsal.” Gigi offers with a huge grin.

“We’d love to go, but we’ve got tickets to see the Stones at the O2.” Zayn says in an almost lamenting tone. “Lou and I have been trying to go for ages, but something always comes up or we can’t get tickets. This time we almost didn’t get the tickets again, but Li works as a stage manager and he’s coincidentally working with the Stones for the Brit leg of their tour.”

“No fucking way! You’re working with the stones?” Harry asks with impossibly wide eyes.

“Yeah man! It’s so sick, it’s a dream come true, really.”

“Come on then, Payno. Spill out the dirt, are they snobbish? Insufferable?” Niall asks, leaning forwards on his seat.

“No way, man. Ronnie Wood is the nicest human being on earth, Jagger’s a bit reserved though, we don’t see much of him outside of sound check, keeps to himself most of the time. But the rest of the band is so sick, they’re absolute mayhem.”

Liam’s in the middle of a story of when he walked into Chris Martin naked and instead of being embarrassed, Martin started to explain how we should never feel ashamed of our bodies when Harry’s phone starts ringing incessantly. He excuses himself and leaves the booth to get it.

“And the boyfriend attacks again.” Nick comments pettily and Claire shushes him. “What? It’s true though.”

“Yeah, but H likes him. We should respect it.” Mitch says blankly, taking a sip of his beer.

“Fuck that, guy’s a cunt. I’m with Nick in this one, we should do an intervention.” Niall blurts out and Mitch sighs, apparently giving up.

“He may be an asshole, but it’s not up to us to say anything, Ni.” Bella says biting on her lip.

“Yeah, worst case scenario he gets mad at us and pushes us away.” Gigi completes, running her finger on the water around her almost empty glass.

“What’s going on?” It’s Liam who ends up asking the question on the tip of Louis’ tongue.

“It’s just… well,” Sarah starts hesitantly. “He’s been dating this guy Sam for a while now, right?! And the guy’s a bit of a nightmare.”

“Nightmare? You’re being kind, babe. He’s the possessive, obsessively jealous type. He doesn’t even know H’s out with us right now, I’ll wager. If he’d knew he’d throw a fit, besides, he’s very dismissive of H’s career, he’s embarrassed H’s in Ballet, to be honest.” Nick rants, cheeks angrily flushed from alcohol and frustration, Louis’ stomach twists uncomfortably, he knows he’s listening to something he shouldn’t be privy to, but there’s no stopping Harry’s friends now.

“You don’t know that, Nick.” Claire steps up reproachfully.

“Might as well be, he’s been to one of our pieces before when we were in France and seemed to have a fucking tree up his arse the entire fucking time. Didn’t congratulate any of us, took H straight home after and never showed again.” Niall spits angrily.

“And his parents don’t even know Harry personally yet.” Cara adds.

“It’s enough guys, yeah?! H’s gonna be back soon.” Mitch interrupts and this time everyone listens to him.

Sarah and Claire change the subject, asking Zayn and Liam about their relationship instead, but Louis just can’t shake that awful feeling in his chest that says something is wrong. He experienced a bit of the boyfriend’s temper during their trip down to London, but he had no idea it was bad like that. He excuses himself telling the group he’s gonna go for a smoke and is relieved when Zayn doesn’t follow him outside.

It’s freezing cold out on the patio and Louis pulls his jacket tighter around himself, patting his pockets after his cigarettes and lighter. That’s when he sees Harry murmuring into the phone tucked in the corner of a couch with his head in his hands. The sight makes the feeling on Louis’ belly get worse. He approaches Harry carefully, but freezes up when he hears him sniffling quietly, his heart tightening in his chest.

Louis can’t hear what Harry is saying and tries not to. When Harry hangs up the phone, Louis approaches him quietly.

“H?” He calls softly. “Everything okay?”

Harry startles, looking at him with wide wet eyes and a red nose. He wipes his eyes and nose quickly with the back of his hands and chuckles to Louis.

“Emotional drunk.”

“Hm.” Louis sits beside Harry on the couch and leans back, trying to search his fuzzy mind for something useful to say. But what does one even say in a situation like this? He barely even knows Harry, not like a friend would, he’s not cut out for this.

“It’s err… I’m fine. Just, Sam’s a bit mad at me. I don’t think he’s coming to the piece Sunday.” Harry mumbles. Louis leans forward in his seat, his fingertips ache to touch Harry, offer some kind of comfort, but he’s not sure he can, not sure if he should.

“Why not?”

“He’s really upset about me going out two nights in a row, he doesn’t really like me partying.”

“H, listen- “

“But, like, he’s my boyfriend, right? I shouldn’t have come, shouldn’t have gone out yesterday.”

“Harry.” Louis says more firmly, his mind clearer now. He grabs Harry’s hand, making the boy look up at him. “You shouldn’t be like that, shouldn’t blame yourself for wanting to have fun. Sam should trust you.”

“He does! He does, but it’s- “

“H, you shouldn’t have to mold yourself to fit anyone’s expectations of you.” Louis says quietly, his fingers idly stroking Harry’s knuckles. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have fun and you shouldn’t have to lie to your own boyfriend so you can go out. That’s not how relationships are supposed to be.”

“What do you know about relationships? I thought you were the guy who didn’t do them.” Harry snatches his hand back, eyes hardened and hurt, tears welling up in them all over again.

“You’re right, I really don’t know much about relationships at all, but I know all about pressure and self-doubt. And I also know that when you’re with the person you love, you should feel safe and happy, not constantly worried about the consequences of being yourself.” Louis says softly. “Don’t change for anyone but yourself, Love. You’re good being who you are and if anyone doesn’t agree with that, they can fuck right off.”

Harry bites his lip and nods slightly, shoulders relaxing a bit.

“Come on, let’s go back inside. It’s fucking freezing out here.”

“Go ahead, I’ll be right there.” Louis nods and stands up, going back into the pub and leaving Harry to himself. Louis probably feels worse than he did earlier, but he knows he has nothing to do with any of this.

Even though he knows that, Louis can’t help but wonder why he cares so much.

 

* * *

 

 

When he wakes up Saturday morning, his head is pounding and his mouth is dry like he swallowed a ball of cotton. He should know better than to drink that much. He moans his way to the bathroom and out of it after having brushed his teeth and taken a shower. However, the unmistakable smell of frying bacon pulls him out of his room and into the kitchen where he finds Harry in sweats and a t-shirt and the bun Louis has quietly come to appreciate.

“Morning.” Harry offers with a small smile and only a tiny hint of his dimples showing on his cheeks.

“If you’re gonna cook like this every time I have a hangover we might have to keep you permanently.” Louis says inspecting the pans Harry’s watching over. A full fry-up, he could cry right now.

“Just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay here and for, you know, giving me a lift.” Harry says while he puts together a perfect plate of Louis’ favourite breakfast and hands it to him.

“I could cry right now.” Louis moans as he sits down at the table with his breakfast, mouth watering. Harry places a cup of Yorkshire tea in front of him just as Louis is taking a bite of the bacon.

“And also for yesterday.” Harry says a bit quieter with a smile that Louis could only describe as private. “I’m sorry for yesterday.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, H.” Louis says seriously. “It’s just mates helping each other out, yeah?!”

“Mates?” Harry chuckles and leans back on his chair. “Now who would have thought, the great Tommo mates with little old me.”

“Sod off.” Louis forks a few bites of egg and sausage, moaning around his mouthful. “Don’t you have rehearsal today?”

“No, our director doesn’t like us rehearsing the day before the piece. He says the day before is sacred and we should relax and not think about ballet at all.”

“Hm, wise guy. So, since you’re not doing anything today, how about we go exploring? Do stupid touristy things and have like Starbucks or something?”

“Sounds kinda nice, actually.”

“Let’s do it then.”

They finish breakfast and separate to change into something appropriate to navigate the city in. Harry’s hair is done up in that half bug thing that looks way too cute to be acceptable and Louis has to constantly remind himself not to stare. They decide not to take the car, choosing the tube for the day, it feels more touristy that way.

It’s a bit chilly outside, but the sky is clear by some kind of miracle and Louis takes joy in it. Harry looks happy today too, that only serves to add up to Louis’ good mood. They go to the Big Ben first, Harry makes Louis pose for ridiculous pictures pretending to lean on the tower, Harry’s actually good at taking pictures and the final product is better than he thought it would be. Next, they climb on the red bus and take the tour around town, _oohing_ and _aahing_ along with the tourists in the bus.

There’s a little blonde girl sitting in the bench in front of them and Harry takes to making her laugh doing silly faces for her. It’s cute and Louis doesn’t even feel guilty for thinking it this time.

They visit all the dorky places Louis would usually hate to go to, like the Hyde park, packed with people on a sunny Saturday. Abbey road, where they giggle discreetly, or try to, watching the teenagers almost get run over trying to replicate the famous Beatles album cover.

Harry is fun, as it turns out. He gets more and more comfortable with Louis as time passes by, he then is making dorky jokes and talking about non-important things that still manage to hold some importance to him by the way his eyes sparkle with each fact he tells Louis about something or the other. They have fish and chips for lunch by the Thames and Starbucks near the London Eye, they consider buying a ticket to go up, but the line is way too long for either of them to feel up for it.

However, the day suffers an aggressive turn for the worst when, walking down the Westminster Bridge a man hurries over to them red faced and looking extremely displeased. He’s tall, well-built with red hair and blue eyes and Harry freezes beside him as the man approaches them.

“Harry.” The man says in a tight voice, New York accent heavy on his tongue.

“Sam, I… I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

“I wasn’t, decided to surprise you and I’m glad I did.” The man, Sam, Harry’s mysterious boyfriend gives him a dry look from head to toe that gives him chills and makes him angry at the same time.

“I’m glad you did, too.” Harry says, oblivious to the jab Sam meant by that, or just plain ignoring it. “Sam, this is Louis, the mate I told you about, Louis this is Sam, my boyfriend.”

“Nice to meet you.” Louis says, not meaning it one bit and holding up his hand for Sam to shake.

“You, too.” The boyfriend completely ignores Louis’ hand in favour of staring at Harry with his displeased blue eyes. “Baby, my car is parked just down the road. I got a hotel room, thought we could grab dinner together, what do you say?”

Harry looks from Sam to Louis and back and Louis knows what Harry’s answer is going to be before it’s even out of his mouth.

“Sure, yeah.” Harry turns to Louis and smiles at him, but Louis can see how the smile just doesn’t look right. “I’ll see you later, Lou.”

“Sure, see you later, H. and nice to meet you again, Sam.” The guy nods with a tight smile and the couple leave, stalking down the bridge until Louis loses them among the tourists.

Louis bites on his lip and reluctantly, he hails a cab and climbs into it, giving the cabbie his home address before leaning back on the seat and closing his eyes. He can’t seem to forget how Harry’s shoulders had sagged and his smile became tight when he saw his boyfriend, how was that even possible.

And how in the fuck did Harry Styles go from being an annoyance to being able to evoke that tiny pang in Louis’ chest in the span of four days is beyond him.

 

* * *

 

 

Louis doesn’t tell Zayn and Liam about the scene in the bridge from earlier during dinner, he doesn’t tell them anything at all about his day afraid that if he opens his mouth he might just say all the wrong things.

Liam tells them that the Stones went through sound check all day today and that Mick Jagger remembered his name and Ronnie Wood gave him a chocolate muffin during snack break. Zayn is practically bouncing in his seat at the table when Liam tells them he might be able to get them backstage passes for tomorrow’s show, Louis is excited, he really is, but he would be much happier if he could stop thinking about Harry for a second.

Zayn and Liam retire to their bedroom and Louis doesn’t even try to pretend he’ll be able to sleep, so he grabs his laptop and checks his e-mails for work and luckily there’s a brand-new manuscript waiting for him. He doesn’t even bother trying to print it, he opens the document and begins reading it on his laptop. He doesn’t even know how much time passes until he’s hearing the front door opening and closing.

Louis looks up expectantly, lowering his glasses and sitting up. Harry walks into the room with a tired expression and halts when he sees Louis sitting on the couch.

“Hi, didn’t expect you to be up this late.” Harry says, running his fingers on the back of his neck.

“Had work to do.” He lies shamelessly, but it’s better than saying he stayed up in hope of seeing Harry.

Harry sits down on the couch beside him and leans back, closing his eyes. Louis takes it as a cue not to say anything, so he holds his curiosity back and goes back to his manuscript. Louis must have read the same paragraph over and over at least ten times before Harry speaks again.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, H.” Harry sighs tiredly. “You okay?”

“Could be better.” His voice sounds heavy, sad.  “We broke up.”

Louis abandons all pretenses of nonchalance in favour of turning to Harry and staring, not sure of what to do or to say, or even if he _should_ do anything at all.

“I’m so sorry, Harry.” Louis says, even if he doesn’t mean it one bit.

“Don’t be, nothing to be sorry for.” Harry offers him a small smile, his eyes dimmed and shoulders sagged. “I mean, I saw it coming you know. I knew we had an expiration date and that we were coming closer and closer to it. today was… it was just…”

“Too much?”

“Yeah.” Harry sighs heavily and rubs his eyes. “We were in the car and he was telling me just why I couldn’t go around taking walks with single men and all I could think about was how unfair it was that I had to hear that for taking a day off with a friend, all I could think about was what Niall and Nick have been telling me for the past month, what you told me yesterday. So, when we got to his hotel, I broke up with him before we even made it to the lift.”

Louis snorts, he can’t help it, not when his chest somehow feels pounds lighter than it had just minutes earlier.

“I’m not going to say I’m sorry again because I wouldn’t mean it.” It’s Harry who snorts this time.

“I’m not exactly sure if I’m sorry either, I’m just sorry I wasted so much time on him, sorry that I actually believed I loved him at some point. All I feel now is… disappointment.” Harry’s eyes are low and there’s no hint of the light Louis saw in them earlier.

“Maybe it’s for the best, H.” Louis says with a small smile and what he expects to be a comforting hand on Harry’s forearm. “Maybe it was just the wrong timing.”

“Love kind of sucks, it sucks when you think you have it only to find that you don’t, sucks when you want it and can’t have it. Just sucks in general.” Louis laughs this time, making Harry’s lips twitch with a hint of a smile.

“You sound like my sixteen-year-old sister now.” Louis says, denying the fondness in his voice completely. “Just… you should stop looking for it. Love, I mean. You’re young, you still got time. And some say it tends to show when you’re not expecting it. That’s what mum’s always telling us anyway.”

“Sounded like a true romantic right then, Lou.” Louis snorts, because he’s the furthest thing from a romantic he’s ever come across. He just repeats lines from corny rom-coms and his mum.

“You’re gonna be okay, though? I mean, tomorrow’s a big day.” Harry smiles a little at him then.

“I’ll be fine, I tend to zone out when I’m onstage. It’s like a bubble up there, you isolate yourself from reality altogether.” Harry says with a smile in his eyes and Louis is almost relieved to see it there. “That’s what I love most about dance and music, the way you can just abandon your reality in favour of a dream and it’s actually okay.”

“Shame I won’t be able to watch you tomorrow.”

“You’ll be watching Mick Jagger, that’s almost as good as seeing me dance.”

“Almost, huh?” Louis snorts.

“Yeah, I mean. I’m much prettier than him.”

“You should go to bed, Rockstar. It’s pretty late already.”

“Yeah, think I might do just that.” Harry stands up to leave, but just before he enters the hallway he smiles at Louis who is still watching him closely. “Thank you, Lou.”

“You’re welcome, H.”

 

* * *

 

 

Louis wakes up to a weight pouncing on him and a mouthful of hair the next day.

“Wakey wakey Tommo.” Zayn shakes him, his bony knee digging into his side. “Look at these, Louis! Just look at them!”

Louis opens his eyes ready to murder Zayn and turn Liam into a sorrowful widow when he catches a glace of what the boy has in his hands. Their tickets plus the backstage passes Liam got them and suddenly Louis isn’t as sleepy anymore.

“Aren’t they beautiful?!” Zayn marvels making Louis laugh at the stupid voice he’s making and the stupid grin on his face, Zayn’s such a dork sometimes that Louis honestly wonders how he manages to intimidate teenagers to listen to him during classes. Louis snatches the tickets from his hand and looks them over, a giddiness spreading on his chest at the thought of finally, finally getting to see the Stones live.

“They even got our names on them.” Louis’ grin matches Zayn’s as they share a look of pure joy. 

“Yeah they do!”

A knock on the door frame of Louis’ room takes their attention away of their dorky little happy bubble, Harry’s standing there, his hair pulled up in a bun at the top of his head, he’s wearing sweats and a hoodie with some weird unlaced boots and he looks so soft that Louis wonders for a moment how would it feel to just bury his head on Harry’s neck and close his eyes. Then he remembers those aren’t really appropriate thoughts and ignores himself altogether.

“Morning, H.” Zayn says with a wide grin and Harry smiles back, but it’s a small thing compared to his usual cheeky smiles.

“Morning. Just wanted to let you know I’m off to the theater and to ask you, beg you, to get me Mick’s autograph.” Zayn chuckles holding his belly.

“Of course, mate. It’s gonna be your congratulatory gift for smashing it tonight.” Harry smiles a bit brighter now.

“Thanks, see you later then. Enjoy the concert.”

“You, too. Good Luck!” Zayn calls after him and Harry waves before walking away.

Louis jumps off the bed and follows Harry out of the room and into the living room where Harry’s fishing his keys out of his pocket.

“Harry,” Louis calls, not exactly sure of what he’s doing, but something’s just not right today and he wants to fix it so bad. Even though he has no idea how.

“Hey, Lou.” Harry offers him a smile and Louis steps closer to him. “What?”  

“Just… Just wanted to say good luck tonight. Not to be nervous you’re gonna do amazing and all that.” Harry chuckles and nods.

“Thanks.” Harry says, but doesn’t move to leave. Louis doesn’t move either, both expecting something, anything, but coming up with nothing. “Well… I better be off then.”

“Y-yeah, yeah.” Louis follows Harry to the front door, that strange feeling in his chest not going away. “You okay?” He asks just as Harry opens the door.

“I’ve been better, to be honest.” Harry confesses with a small smile, shrugging one shoulder.

“Tonight’s your night, yeah? Just focus on you, that’s all you should think about. Be really selfish about it, too.” Louis offers, trying to lighten the mood and feels weirdly satisfied when Harry laughs. His laughter is something ridiculous that Louis finds that he loves to be the cause of.

“You know, you’re really good at this life advice thing.” Harry smirks. “Should honestly consider leaving book editing to become a counselor.”

“Ha, they would just end up locking me away on a psych ward somewhere.” Harry’s amused smile brightens his eyes for the first time since the day before and Louis feels the ache in his chest ease a bit.

“Thanks, Lou. But honestly, I’ll be fine.” Harry gives him one last smile before beckoning the hallway in indication he has to go. He nods and waves Harry off with a hand on the doorknob.

Louis doesn’t close the door until Harry’s vanished down the stairs, he leans against the closed door, taking a second to breathe, he doesn’t know why he feels the need to catch his breath all of a sudden, but he doesn’t get a chance, Zayn’s watching him from the Kitchen door with a small knowing smile on his annoying model face.

“What?”

“What’s going on, Lou?”

“What do you mean?” Louis walks past his best friend into the kitchen and opens the fridge after something to do with his hands, he hates this, Zayn putting him on the spot.

“You jumped out of bed and ran after him, your face kept doing that soft thing I haven’t seen it do since you dated Hannah on year nine, before, you know, you figured out you liked dick.”

“Ha, I think I must’ve already told you this, but you’re seriously not as funny as you think you are.” Louis sits down with a carton of milk and his cereal box. Zayn grabs two bowls and spoons, putting one in front of Louis and sitting across from him on the table.

“Seriously though, Lou. What’s up?”

“Nothing, was just checking on him.” Louis dismisses without looking at Zayn, pouring milk over his cocoa puffs. “He broke up with the boyfriend yesterday.”

“What?” Zayn raises his eyebrows, holding a spoonful of cereal in the air halfway to his mouth. “How did that happen?”

“Like, he and I went out yesterday to kill time, the boyfriend shows out of nowhere when we were walking down Westminster bridge.” Louis explains around a mouthful of cereal. “He’s just as horrible as Harry’s friends painted him out to be, by the way.”

Zayn doesn’t say anything, waiting for Louis to continue his story, the cereal forgotten in front of him. Louis always found it a bit intimidated to have Zayn’s full attention, his eyes go intense and he’ really difficult to lie to. He’d be a good policeman, Louis figures.

“He was really rude, sending me these angry glares and everything. After like a second he snatched Harry away and I stood there trying to figure out what had just happened.” Louis explains, looking down at the little chocolate balls floating on milk, pushing them around with his spoon to avoid looking at Zayn. “When he got home last night after you and Li had gone to bed, he told me they had broken up.”

“That’s awful.”

“Yeah.” Louis muses, suddenly he’s not even hungry anymore. “He was a real dick. That day at the bar when I went out for a fag, I found H crying on the phone after talking to him. Said the asshole was mad at him for going out and wasn’t gonna show at the ballet.”

“Why didn’t you say anything, Lou?” Zayn asks, his tone careful, as if he’s trying to soothe a toddler about to go off on a tantrum. “His friends would have been able to do something, I don’t know.”

“It didn’t feel like my place to say anything.”

“Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“I don’t know, Zee! Do I have to tell you everything?” He glares at his best friend, but Zayn doesn’t seem fazed, knows him way too well.

“No, Louis. You don’t. but that’s really not what this is about.” Zayn says patiently, maybe he’s the one who should drop the economics professor career and go into counselling, he’s way better at keeping his own head level than Louis ever was. “And you know that.”

“I’ve only started getting to really know him for three days, Zee. I don’t know what you’re trying to hint at.”

“Come on, Louis.” Zayn scoffs, his own cereal forgotten as he leans back on his chair and crosses his arms. “You say I had a crush on Harry back when we were in school, but honestly- “

“Zayn.” Louis warns, but who is he kidding? Zayn’s not going to drop it.

“No, I’ve let you get away with your bullshit ever since we got back to Holmes Chapel and you kept making heart eyes at him during dinner.” Zayn says firmly. “Yeah, I wanted to make out with him on graduation night because I was high as fuck and I remember you getting aggressively defensive of his virtue and not letting me even think of going after him.”

“Zee.” He’s pleading now, he doesn’t need this right now.

“I also remember you beating up two guys on the footie team for making fun of Harry until he cried because of that poem notebook they found on his locker, you got suspended for that.” Zayn’s eyes soften, a little smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “And your endless rants when Harry got his first boyfriend on year ten and how you honestly considered missing out your championship final to go to the hospital because Harry had broken his arm the year you had just become captain of the team.”

Louis gives up then, because Zayn is a good friend, he hasn’t brought that shit up until now, letting Louis freely lie to himself and bullshit everyone about his history with Harry. He knows Zayn wouldn’t be bringing this up now without a reason.

“Lou, just… I don’t know why you do it.”

“Do what?” Louis lifts his eyes to meet his best friend’s, the softness on Zayn’s face making that ache in his chest expand.

“Lie when it matters.” Zayn says quietly, like they’re sharing a secret. “You go out of your way to convince yourself and everyone else you don’t care when you actually do. It happened when your dad left, when your mum and mark got divorced, when you figured out you were gay and… with Harry.”

“I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I don’t want anything, Lou. I just love you, you know. And I hate seeing you lie to yourself.” Zayn smiles that little private smile he puts on when he’s to get through to him.

“Okay, so maybe there’s a tiny possibility I might be attracted to Harry.” Zayn snorts. “It’s not like it’s mutual anyway, I spent half out childhood giving him shit for everything he did, bet he spent all these years hating me really bad.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s all set in stone.” Zayn shrugs, going back to his cereal. “He’s moving here, his flat is relatively close by, his friends are nice, I like him. It’s not like he’s gonna vanish after he moves out tomorrow.”

“What are you insinuating, Malik?”

Zayn doesn’t say anything more, he just smiles cheekily at Louis with a few drops of milk running down his chin and gives him a wink. Honestly, Louis should have chosen his best friend better.

 

* * *

 

 

Louis sticks his hands in his pockets and bounces on the balls of his feet, it’s freezing cold and he knows he’s going to be in this line for at least an hour more. Zayn is happily chatting with a group of people their age about the concert and how excited they all are, usually Louis would be doing the same, cracking jokes and having a laugh to pass the time, but he’s too anxious to do anything but keep to himself.

It’s hard to understand, the tightness in his throat and chest. There’s no reason at all to feel anxious, he’s with his best mate and he’s about to watch his favourite band of all times live for the first time and he’ll meet said band after the show, he should be over the fucking moon.

Instead, all Louis can think of is green eyes and how dimmed they looked when he last saw them. All he can think of is Harry and whether he’s okay, if he is coping well with the probable anxiety of performing his very first show with one of the biggest ballet companies in the world knowing that if he doesn’t do well, they can drop him still.

That’s all Louis can think of. He knows Harry’s hardly alone, knows Harry’s family came down from Holmes Chapel to watch him, knows his own family did too, he got a call from his mum in the morning just after his conversation with Zayn in the kitchen letting him know she, Dan, the twins and Fizzy would be arriving in London a little later and checking into a hotel.

Louis had told his mum for the billionth time that no, he was not going to go to Harry’s performance because he already had plans. He replays the conversation in his head over and over as the anxiety heightens, he should do something, everything feels wrong right now, why does it feel so wrong?

Looking down at his watch, he sees its seven, the gates will open in an hour, so they can find their seats.

Harry’s performance also starts in an hour.

“Hey, you okay, Lou?” Zayn asks, his cheeks are flushed from the cold and the glint in his eyes tell him just how happy his best friend is. He wishes he could relate.

“I don’t know.” Zayn frowns, watching him carefully.

“Why? What’s wrong?” 

Louis looks down at his watch again, half an hour until the performance starts. His heart quickens, blood ringing in his ears as his breathing accelerates. He must be going out of his fucking mind, completely crazy, Zayn’s going murder him for what he’s about to do.

“Zee, I’m sorry.” Louis starts, biting on his lip and glancing quickly at his watch. “You’ll have to watch the concert without me.”

“What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“I need to go, I need to be there.” Louis turns and runs then, he can hear Zayn shouting after him and he turns to shout back. “Don’t forget to get Mick’s autograph for me!”

He runs then, runs as fast as he can until he reaches the street just beside the arena. It’s absolute chaos of people and cars and Louis has no idea how he’s going to make it in time, but he has to! Just then he sees a girl getting out of a cab and runs to her, signaling for her to hold the cab.

“Thanks.” He says quickly as he shoves himself into the car and closes the door. “The Royal Opera house, please.”

The cabbie nods, complaining about the chaotic traffic, but all Louis can focus on is that his time is running out. He needs to be there. Almost forty excruciating minutes later, the cabbie is stopping at the huge line of cars just over the corner of Bow Street.

“Jesus, what’s going on today.” The cabbie complains under his breath and Louis looks around, seeing the endless line of expensive cars probably all going to the ballet. Apparently, he underestimated the importance of Harry’s show.

“You can leave me here.” Louis throws a few bills at the cabbie after checking the price and practically throws himself out of the car, bolting down the street towards the opera house.

There’s so many people, all of them in black tie and Louis has absolute no time to worry about his black jeans and leather jacket, he just needs to get inside. He fishes his phone out of his pocket, fumbling with it with trembling hands, but he manages to call his mum, each ring that goes unanswered heightening his anxiety

 “Mum?” He says into the phone when Jay finally answers her phone.

“Hi, Boo.”

“Where are you?” he asks, pacing around, trying to calm himself. He doesn’t have much time.

“Err… I’m with Anne and the rest waiting to be seated at the opera house, why?”

“Mum, ask Anne if she has any spare tickets.” Louis worries his bottom lip between his teeth, looking around towards the entrance of the building where security and management are checking tickets.

“What? Boo, what’s going on?”

“Just do it, mum.”

“Okay, okay.” The line goes silent then, he can hear murmuring and the tell-tale sounds of a crowded place, faint music playing somewhere. “Boo?”

“Yeah?”

“Darling, she only has Gemma’s boyfriend’s ticket.”

“Give the phone to Gemma.”

“Louis, what is going on?”

“Mum, please! I’ll explain later.” He hears a sigh and then more rustling before Harry’s sister is answering the phone. “Gem, I need a favour.”

“What is it, Louis?”

“I’m outside the opera house and I really need to get in, please, please, give me your boyfriend’s ticket.”

“Louis! Michael is already on his way, I can’t send him home.” Gemma huffs impatiently. “Besides, why would I even do that? What are you doing here?’

“I can’t explain right now! But I really need to be there, Gem. I really do.”

“Why?” She asks, her tone menacing, she’s always been protective of Harry, especially when it came to him. “Why would I give you Michael’s ticket? To you of all people.”

“Gemma.” He can hear the pleading on his own tone, he swallows around the lump in his throat. “I just… I want to be there for him.”

The line goes silent for a moment, none of them speaking. Louis feels like a breathless eternity passes before Gemma is speaking again.

“Meet me at the entrance, I’ll go get you.”

“Thank you, fuck, thank you, Gem!”

“Don’t thank me yet, asshole. You owe me big for this.” She hangs up then and Louis hurries towards the entrance.

The people in line are casting him condescending glances, looking him up and down, Louis pulls his jacket tighter around himself, he can’t worry about this right now. He needs to worry about Harry. He sees an old man in the corner just beside the red carpet selling single roses, he contemplates his own ridiculousness before he goes over to the man and buys one for a pound.

“Louis!” He looks around at the voice calling his name and sees Gemma, her pale blonde hair perfectly straight, her lips painted blood red and her eyes hard as she looks at him. He hurries towards her as she seems to be explaining the situation to the managers.

A woman with a headpiece stares him up and down, frowning.

“Sir, I’m afraid you’re not following dress code.”

“Look,” he starts, but Gemma cuts him off.

“He’s just an airhead, he forgot about dress code. He’s the boyfriend of one of the dancers.” Louis is definitely not blushing, he really isn’t.

The woman gives them an unimpressed look with an arched eyebrow, a boyfriend of a ballet dancer would know all about how to dress in events like these. She sighs heavily eyeing the line of impatient patrons behind them and nods.

“Fine, go ahead.”

Gemma all but drags him inside by his wrist before he can even thank the woman properly, she’s furious, he knows, but what can he do.

“You owe me big, Tomlinson. Michael is really upset he’s not coming, he loves ballet.”

“Your boyfriend loves ballet?” He says with a condescending snort as he follows her towards the auditorium. Gemma gives him a dry glare that could rival his mum’s.

“Yours does, too.”

“Shut up.” He mumbles, following her to their seats.

Louis has never been to the opera house before, he looks around the auditorium in awe, it’s so beautiful, he feels like he’s stepped into the nineteenth century. The walls are adorned in gold and red, the ceiling covered in art, an enormous chrystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, the stage hidden behind a red velvet curtain, he can hear the orchestra tuning their instruments. They sit down just as the lights start to dim and the sound of the orchestra getting louder.

He made it. he thinks if a relieved sigh as he settles in beside Gemma where Michael was supposed to be seated. The lights go down and the curtains open, show time.

Contrary to what he thought, ballet is a really beautiful thing. The way the ballerinas move is precise and sharp, yet graceful and light, they look like they’re floating. Through the first act he spots some of Harry’s friends, Sarah and Claire, even Niall. But no Harry. He knows nothing about the nutcracker aside from the Barbie movie Lottie was obsessed with when she was five, but if Harry’s the nutcracker then he should be on through the entire show, right?!

There’s a ten-minute pause between the first act and the second and that’s when he sees his mum staring at him from three seats down and Anne smiling at him. Louis doesn’t give them a chance to talk to him though, he fishes his phone out and sends a quick text to Zayn just as the lights go down for the second act.

The curtains part and that’s when he sees Harry. His hair is pushed back in an artful bun, he’s wearing black tights and an adorned red top, he looks beautiful up there and Louis can’t tear his eyes away. He moves with a grace and lightness that Louis never thought possible, as the princess is kidnapped he finds himself on the edge of his seat, holding his breath.

By the end of the play he is out of breath, eyes glued to the stage and drying tears on his cheeks. The curtains close and the applause is deafening, it goes on and on for minutes on end as patrons throw roses on the stage. The curtains open briefly, the cast bow in thanks and then they’re off again. Louis stays glued to his seat all through it, not being able to move a single muscle.

It’s Gemma who ushers him out of his seat with a little knowing smile and a wink. Anne tells them that Harry will be waiting backstage as she guides them towards the exit near the stage and gives the manager there their names.

Backstage is a mess, there’s ballerinas everywhere giggling and jumping in joy, there’s families with flower bouquets and managers ordering people around, it’s proper chaos.

“Louis!” He turns when he hears his name, seeing Niall in his gather up with flushed cheeks and a huge grin. The blonde doesn’t give him time before he’s enveloping Louis in a tight hug. “Hey mate! Didn’t know you were coming, thought you had that concert today.”

“I did, yeah, but- “

“Louis?” He looks up just in time to see Harry leaving his mother’s embrace, he looks confused and so, so beautiful still in his costume and a bit of make-up.

“Hey, H.” Louis says as Harry approaches him.

“What- what are you doing here? Didn’t you have to be at the concert?”

“I did.” Louis feels an ache in his chest, although this one is completely different from the suffocating thing he felt this morning. “But, well, I found somewhere more important to be.”

The smile Harry gives him is what makes it all worth it. he’d miss a full-paid vacation with mick Jagger himself if it meant he could see that smile aimed at him every day for the rest of his life. His stupid heart skips a beat and there’s a billion moths in his stomach, because he refuses thinking of them as butterflies.

“I- Lou- “

“This is for you.” Louis says, handing Harry the single rose he bought earlier. “It’s not a bouquet but- “

“It’s perfect, thank you.” Harry’s smile turns into something more private them, intimate, meant just for him and Louis wants nothing more than to kiss that smile.

Their moment is shattered when Gemma hugs Harry and gives the rest of the family a cue to do the same. Harry gets lost in the enthusiasm of the Twists and the Deakins/Tomlinsons leaving Louis to just take in the entire scene.

“You know, what you did just then.” Louis turns, realising Niall’s still beside him “Really cool thing to do, Louis.”

“It, I mean, I wanted to be here.”

“More than partying with the Stones?” Louis chuckles then.

“Yeah.” He breathes while watching Harry laughing at something his sisters are saying, having his mother under one arm and Louis’ rose in his other hand. “Yeah, way more.”

It’s then that he realises that maybe his mother has been right all along. When it matters most, it doesn’t come with a bang, a parade or fireworks, it sneaks up on you like a whisper, it’s quiet and sweet and you’ll find you want nothing more in life than to keep it.

That’s how love works.

 

* * *

 

 

A Year Later.

Sunlight hits his eyes and Louis sleep muddled mind curses himself for forgetting to close the damn blinds before going to bed the night before. He feels the warm back on his chest expand softly with each breath the other takes and smiles to himself, opening his eyes.

Louis nuzzles into the soft hairs at Harry’s nape, his hair pulled up in his usual bun. Slowly, he nibbles at the skin just bellow Harry’s ear and smiles as Harry moans quietly in his sleep, his body less pliant and more alert.

“You awake, Love?”

“I am now.” Harry huffs, but Louis knows he loves to be waken up like this, slowly and softly. “Mm, Lou, it’s Sunday, why are you up so early?”

Louis glances at the clock on the nightstand on Harry’s side of the bed to see it’s only nine in the morning. He closes his eyes and settles back against Harry’s back with a sigh.

“Forgot to shut the blinds last night.”

“Shocker.” Harry says around a snort and Louis bites his shoulder just because he can. “Ouch.”

“Shut up.”

Harry turns in his arms, throwing his own long arms around Louis’ waist and pulling him closer, nuzzling his nose against Louis’. He swears he could spend the rest of his life doing nothing but cuddling with Harry in bed, lazy mornings like these when neither of them as nothing to do and nowhere to be are Louis’ absolute favourites. At some point they’ll get up to have breakfast and move this to the living room couch, but not now. Not if he has any say in it, at least.

“Morning, babe.”

“Morning.” Louis whispers against Harry’s lips, planting a sweet, chaste kiss there.

“I’ve got something I want to show you.” Louis groans and buries his face into Harry’s neck.

“Your morning stiffy isn’t a proper surprise, Haz, we’ve talked about this already.”

“Shut it, brat.” Harry says giggling. “It’s not that, although a hand would be nice.”

Louis snorts and Harry chuckles before detaching himself from Louis and sitting up on the bed. He leans down and fishes for his abandoned boxer before slipping it on and getting up. Louis sighs sadly, so much for lazy mornings in bed.

It’s not long before Harry is back though, he sits in bed crossing his legs looking like a little kid on Christmas morning. It makes Louis wonder if he’s forgotten some especial occasion or important date. He sits up in bed and waits for his boyfriend to show him whatever it is he wants to show him.

“Here.” Harry hands him a white envelope and Louis frowns down at it, prying it open carefully with his fingers. He can feel Harry’s giddy energy from where he’s sitting and it only serves to worry him even more, is it their anniversary? He knows its not, it’s not even the proper month.

With the envelope now opened, he pulls out the slips of paper inside and freezes instantly looking down at them.

“So, what do you think?”

“Haz… Harry.” Louis breathes, not believing his eyes. “I- “

It’s two VIP tickets for the Stones concert at the O2 that night.

“I mean, I know how much you love them and you missed your concert last year to come see my opening.” Harry is explaining with a wide grin, his dimples full force on his cheeks. “When I heard the Stones were doing a special closing concert here I thought I couldn’t let it pass.”

“H, these were impossible to get! They sold out in an hour.” Louis says, awestruck. “How did you get them?”

“I have my ways.” Louis launches himself onto Harry and kisses him all over his face until he reaches his mouth and kisses Harry long and hard just how he likes it.

“Fuck, I can’t believe you did this, H.” Harry pecks his lips and lays back, pulling Louis with him and onto his chest.

 “They’re not backstage passes, but they’re pretty close to the stage and they come with a bunch of perks.”

“You’re amazing, I don’t care. I’d be happy seeing them from the crappy seats at the back of the arena.” Harry chuckles and kisses Louis again and again.  

Last year Zayn had been insufferable when he and Liam met them for dinner after the concert with Harry and their families. He not only got Harry and Louis autographs from every member of the band, but managed to make a video with Mick Jagger himself congratulating Harry on his opening at the ballet and booing Louis for missing the concert.

Both Louis and Harry almost had heart attacks at hearing Mick Jagger say their names.

“Zayn can suck it.”

“He still met Jagger, babe. Don’t think he’s gonna be jealous.” Harry says, running his fingers through Louis’ sleep messy hair.

“Is it like, a special date or something? did I forget something? I swear if I did I’ll make it up for you, Love. Gonna do anything you want for a week.” Harry grins widely, his eyes dancing with mirth.

“Hm, tempting.” He leans up and kisses Louis chastely on the lips. “But no, you didn’t forget anything, Lou. Just wanted to do this, I know how much it means to you.”

Louis feels his heart swelling in his chest and leans down, capturing Harry’s bottom lip between his and sucking on it lightly. Harry moans quietly in his mouth and coax his lips apart, sliding his tongue slowly against Louis’. The kiss is slow and lazy, sensual. They kiss until they’re needy and panting and needless to say it takes them a while to leave the bedroom.

When they do leave, after a long shower, Zayn and Liam are in the Kitchen having breakfast. Harry serves himself of the pancakes Liam made for them and pulls Louis onto his lap, sharing a plate between the two. Zayn rolls his eyes and call them pathetic, forgetting he used to be much worse than harry and Louis are when he and Liam started to date.

They share the news of going to watch the Stones at the O2 tonight for the last show of their tour and Zayn shrugs in that condescending way saying he met Jagger and Louis hates him just a little bit for it.

That night in the arena, watching Harry sign his heart out and dance as if he was the only person in the room, Louis knows for sure he doesn’t regret leaving the arena that night a year ago. How can he? When giving up a concert got him the opportunity to be beside the best person he’s ever known. The person he loves the most in his life.

“What?” Harry asks a little breathless, cheeks flushed and eyes bright when he catches Louis staring at him.

Louis shakes his head with a smile and pulls Harry closer, standing on his tiptoes and throwing his arms around Harry’s neck, pulling him into a slow, deep kiss. Harry closes his hands on his waist and presses closer, kissing him just as deeply.

“I love you, Haz.” It’s the first time he says it out loud, although he’s been feeling it for a long time now.

The reaction he gets is worth the wait, Harry’s eyes widen slightly and the smile that breaks out on his face is so big Louis wonders if it hurts his cheeks.

“I love you, too, Lou. So much.”

Louis feels his chest expanding with something warm and so raw that he thinks he might cry and he knows, he knows for sure that whatever it takes, he wants to spend the rest of his life unraveling the mystery that is Harry “baby” Styles.


End file.
